Inhalation atomizer with a one -piece valve element

ABSTRACT

The inhalation atomizer of the invention has a valve box, which is divided into two sub-chambers by a partition wall. The valve box is closed by a valve box cover. A one-piece valve element projects into both sub-chambers and closes the openings provided in the sub-chambers and in the valve box cover in dependence on the breathing of the patient.

[0001] The invention refers to inhalation atomizers for atomizing liquidand/or solid substances.

[0002] Inhalation atomizers of this kind have an inlet valve via whichambient air flows into the inhalation atomizer during the inspirationprocess, and an outlet valve out of which the air exhaled by the patientinto the inhalation atomizer flows. Here care has to be taken that theair respired into the inhalation atomizer does not transport any aerosoloutwards, as otherwise the desired accuracy of dosage is not achieved.An inhalation atomizer of said kind is known for instance from EP 0 123456 A1.

[0003] While the fundamental functions of the inlet valve and the outletvalve are desired, the individual components required for theconstruction and the function of the valves often present difficultiesregarding the use by the patient. The valve elements of the inlet valveand the outlet valve may be lost or confused so that there is the dangerthat the inhalation atomizer cannot be used anymore or is operatedimproperly. And also with a view to the assembly of the inhalationatomizer, as small a number of components as possible is desirablewhich, moreover, are also easy to handle.

[0004] On the basis of these facts, the technical problem underlying theinvention is to improve an inhalation atomizer with an inlet valve andoutlet valve such that an easier and safe handling by the patient aswell as an easier and cheaper assembly in the production is obtainedwithout impairing the functions of the inlet valve and the outlet valve.

[0005] By the one-piece valve element it is guaranteed that the patientonly has to insert one single valve element, which leads not only to asimplification of the handling by the patient but also results in asimplification of the assembly during manufacturing. The one-piecedesign of the valve element requires a two-part valve box. For thatpurpose the valve box is divided up by a partition wall into twosub-chambers into each of which a section of the one-piece valve elementprojects. On the one hand, the valve element effects in the onesub-chamber that the inspiration takes place only through the flowchannel intended therefor, namely through the inhalation atomizerhousing. Thereby the aerosol generated in the inhalation atomizer isinhaled by the patient. On the other hand, the valve element effects inthe other sub-chamber that during expiration into the atomizer no airflows through the inhalation atomizer and transports aerosol with itoutwards.

[0006] The invention is described in more and non-limiting detail in thefollowing by means of an embodiment with reference to the drawings, inwhich:

[0007]FIG. 1 is a first view of the inventive inhalation atomizer with aclosed valve box.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a second view of the inventive inhalation atomizer witha removed valve box cover, but with an inserted valve element.

[0009]FIG. 3 is a third view of the inventive inhalation atomizerwithout valve box cover and without valve element.

[0010]FIG. 4 is a view of the valve box cover from the side facing thevalve box.

[0011] And FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the inhalation atomizeraccording to the invention.

[0012]FIG. 1 shows an inhalation atomizer according to the invention,the housing 1 of which includes an atomizer housing lower part 2 and anatomizer housing upper part 3. The housing can be made of plastic, forexample transparent autoclavable plastic such as polypropylene orpolysulfone. At the atomizer housing upper part 3 there is arranged amouthpiece 4 through which the patient inhales the aerosol generated inthe inhalation atomizer and into which the patient also exhales.Normally, in an inhalation therapy, the patient is requested not to putdown the atomizer after inspiration, i.e. to keep the mouthpiece in themouth and to exhale into the inhalation atomizer.

[0013] In FIG. 1 there is also shown the valve box cover 5 of theinhalation atomizer of the invention. The valve box cover 5 closes thevalve box (which is not directly seen in FIG. 1) and has a first coveropening 51 and a second cover opening 52 which communicates the valvebox with the surroundings. Through the first cover opening 51 the airwhich the patient exhales into the mouthpiece 4 during the expirationprocess flows out of the inhalation atomizer housing. Through the secondcover opening 52 ambient air flows into the inhalation atomizer housingduring the inspiration process in which the patient inhales through themouthpiece 4 the aerosol generated in the inhalation atomizer.

[0014] In FIG. 2 there is shown the inventive inhalation atomizerwithout valve box cover 5. Here the valve box 6 and a one-piece valveelement 7 can be seen. In FIG. 3 the inventive inhalation atomizer isrepresented without valve box cover 5 and without valve element 7. Herea partition wall 61 can be seen, which divides the valve box 6 in twosub-chambers 62 and 63.

[0015] The first sub-chamber 62 has a first valve box opening 621, whichcommunicates the valve box 6 with the interior of the inhalationatomizer housing. During expiration, the respiration air of the patientflows who exhales into the mouthpiece 4 flows through said opening. Forthis reason the first valve box opening 621 is arranged relatively nearthe mouthpiece 4 of the inhalation atomizer. On the side facing thevalve box 6 the first valve box opening 621 is formed as a valve seat sothat the valve element 7 (see FIG. 2) can close the first valve boxopening 621 during the inspiration process. For this purpose the firstvalve box opening 621 is for instance provided with a peripheral edge622 shown in FIG. 3, which acts as a sealing lip. The valve element 7,which can be made of a silicone resin, rests on the partition wall 61 sothat together with the edge 622 a valve seat is realized. Alternatively,when for instance the first valve box opening 621 is of a circulardesign, a peripheral edge 622 completely extending along the entireperiphery can be provided so that a cooperation with the partition wall61 is not necessary in order to obtain the desired sealing of the firstvalve box opening 622 during the inspiration process.

[0016] The second sub-chamber 63 has a second valve box opening 631,which communicates the valve box 6 with the interior of the inhalationatomizer housing 1 so that during the inspiration process ambient aircan flow into the housing 1 of the inhalation atomizer.

[0017] In FIG. 4 the valve box cover 5 is shown in a view in which theside facing the valve box 6 is represented. Here it can be seen that theside of the second cover opening 52 facing the valve box 6 is designedas a valve seat. This is for instance obtained by an edge 521 acting assealing lip when the valve element 7 abuts against the edge 521 duringthe expiration process.

[0018] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the present inhalation atomizercomprises a valve element 7 which is of a one-piece design. The valveelement 7 rests upon the partition wall 61 of the valve box 6. A snap-inprojection 611 of the partition wall 61 projects into an openingprovided in the valve element 7 whereby the valve element is fixedsecurely even without the valve box cover 5. Thereby the assembling ofthe inhalation atomizer after a cleaning by the patient and also duringassembly is facilitated.

[0019] The valve element 7 is, as is shown in FIG. 2, of a symmetricalstructure. Thereby a further simplification of the handling is obtainedas the patient need not pay any attention to the orientation thereofwhen inserting the valve element 7. As can be clearly seen from FIGS 3and 4 in connection with FIG. 2, the symmetrical design of the valveelement 7 is reflected in the symmetrical design of the first valve boxopening 621 and the second cover opening 52.

[0020] As is shown in FIG. 2, a first section 71 of the valve element 7lies in the first sub-chamber 62 of the valve box 6. Therein the firstsection 71 is arranged such that the first section 71 of the valveelement 7 rests on the valve seat 622 of the first valve box opening 621during the inspiration process and closes the same. Thereby it isguaranteed that during the inspiration process the patient inhales theaerosol which is generated in the inhalation atomizer. During theexpiration process the first section 71 of the valve element 7 is liftedoff the valve seat 622 and opens or releases the first valve box opening621 without closing the first cover opening 51. The air exhaled by thepatient therefore can flow through the mouthpiece 4, the first valve boxopening 621, the first sub-chamber 62 and the first cover opening 51.

[0021] A second section 72 of the valve element 7 lies in the secondsub-chamber 63 of the valve box 6. The second section 72 of the valveelement 7 is arranged such that the second section 72 abuts against thevalve seat of the second cover opening 52 of the valve box cover 5during the expiration process. Thereby, during the expiration process,the second section 72 of the valve element 7 closes the second coveropening 52 so that the air exhaled by the patient into the mouthpiecedoes not cause the aerosol generated in the inhalation atomizer housing1 to get to the outside together with the exhaled air through the secondvalve box opening 631, the second sub-chamber 63 and the second coveropening 52. During the inspiration process the second section 72 of thevalve element 7 opens the second cover opening 52 without closing thesecond valve box opening 631. Thus, during inspiration through themouthpiece 4, the patient can inhale ambient air through the secondcover opening 52, the second sub-chamber 63 and the second valve boxopening 631. Therein, the air thus inhaled takes along the aerosolgenerated in the inhalation atomizer housing 1 and supplies it to thepatient via the mouthpiece 4.

[0022]FIG. 5 shows the present inhalation atomizer in a general view incross-section, which is described in the following for a furtherillustration of the structure of an atomizer according to the invention.

[0023] Also in FIG. 5 it is recognized that the housing 1 of theinhalation atomizer comprises a lower housing part 2 and an upperhousing part 3. At the upper housing part there is arranged themouthpiece 4. Furthermore, in the representation of FIG. 5 the valve box6 can be seen, which is closed towards the outside by the valve boxcover 5. The valve box 6 comprises the first sub-chamber 62 and thesecond sub-chamber 63 which are separated from the housing interior by awall 64. The valve box 6 communicates with the housing interior via thevalve box openings 621 and 631 and towards the surroundings via theopenings 51 and 52 of the valve box cover 5. The openings are closed bythe flexible valve element 7, which rests upon the partition wall 61 andis secured via a snap-in projection 611 as well as by the clampingeffect exerted by the valve box cover 5. Finally, in FIG. 5 the designof the valve seats 622 and 521 can be seen.

What is claimed is:
 1. An inhalation atomizer, comprising a housing; avalve box formed in the housing and divided by a partition wall intofirst and second sub-chambers, the first sub-chamber having a firstvalve box opening that communicates the valve box with the interior ofthe housing and which defines a first valve seat on an outer side of thevalve box, the second sub-chamber having a second valve box opening thatcommunicates the valve box with the interior of the housing a valve boxcover that closes the valve box and has a first cover opening thatcommunicates the first sub-chamber with the outside, and has a secondcover opening that communicates the second sub-chamber with the outsideand defines a second valve seat on a side of the cover facing the valvebox, and a one-piece valve element, comprising a first section disposedin the first sub-chamber such that during an inspiration process thefirst section rests upon the first valve seat of the first valve boxopening, and during an expiration process opens the first valve boxopening to permit outflow from the housing, and a second sectionarranged in the second sub-chamber such that during an expirationprocess the second section rests upon the second valve seat of thesecond cover opening and during an inspiration process opens the secondcover opening to permit inflow to the housing.
 2. The inhalationatomizer of claim 1 , wherein the first valve seat of the first valvebox opening is defined as an edge extending at the periphery of thefirst valve box opening.
 3. The inhalation atomizer of claim 1 , whereinthe second valve seat of the second cover opening is defined as an edgeextending at the periphery of the second cover opening.
 4. Theinhalation atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein the valve element isof a symmetrical shape.
 5. The inhalation atomizer of claim 4 , whereinthe valve element has equally sized sections that project into the firstand second sub-chambers.
 6. The inhalation atomizer according to claim 1, wherein the valve element has a snap-in opening.
 7. The inhalationatomizer according to claim 6 , wherein the partition wall comprises aprojection that engages the snap-in opening of the valve element.
 8. Theinhalation atomizer according to claim 7 , wherein the valve element issecured between the partition wall of the valve box and the valve boxcover.